Electric switch



1949- wfJ. CUTHBERTSON arm. ,965

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed July 23, 1945 F72. I. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. L- 3 27 a l 2 27 -2 x 2 7 i a J3 F i .4. i g

Their Atbor'ney Patented Feb. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC SWITCH William J. Cuthbertson, Pittsfield, and Le Roy S. Schell, Jr., Lenox, Mass, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July. 23, 1945, Serial No. 606,490

6 Claims. 1

Our invention relates to improvements in electric switches and more particularly to multiple contact interconnecting sWitches for quickly changing. the connections of electrical apparatus from'series to multiple, and vice versa.

For changing the connections of the windings of power transformers from series to multiple and vice .versa, terminal boards and the like with variable jumper interconnections are generally used. These, however, are awkward, inconvenient and subject to erroneous connections, especially when relatively frequent changes are necessary as in mobile power stations. Existing series-multiple switches, although convenient and dependable for quick changes, result in too large a transformer unit particularly for voltages above kv. But minimum space is Oneof the fundamental requirements of a mobile power station. This requirement is, in a measure, incompatible with the insulation requirements especially at the higher voltages.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved form of electric switch with aligned reversely movable multiple contacts which are particularly adapted for series-multiple service with any required number of poles. Another object ofour invention is to provide a compacthigh voltage multiple contact interconnecting switch which requires a minimum of space and yet has the necessary insulation level. A further object of ourinvention is to provide an improved. high voltage series-multiple switch which can be'readily mounted within a transformer casing. These and other objects of our invention will appear in more detail hereinafter.

In the improved form of our invention, we provide an electric switch comprising four aligned reversely movable circuit controlling members of which alternate members are coupled in pairs,

themembers being so constructed and arranged.

that when one coupled pair of meinbers'is moved inches direction. and the other coupled'pair of members. is moved in. thecpposite direction, the two intermediate members engage, and when the movement of each pairis rcversedtheintermediate members are disengaged andeach outside member and the immediately, adjacent intermediate member become engaged. Further in accordance with our invention, we provide motion reversing mechanism for interconnecting the coupled pairs of members and having an actuating element movable in one" direction simultaneously. to moveithexcoupledpairs of members in opposite'directions and movable in the reversedirection reversely, to move each of the coupled pairs of members.

Our invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection. with the accompanyingsheet of draw ings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. l is an elevation of an embodiment of our invention partly in section partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line 2-'rI of 1; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line l4 of Fig. l; and Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the application of our switch to series-multiple switching.

in the illustrated embodiment of our invention, we have shown a three-pole series-multiple ch, each pole of which comprises four aligned reversely movable selectively engageable circuit controlling members i, and 4. Of these, two alternate members, such as l and 3, are coupled for simultaneous movement in the same direction and the other two alternate members and A are also coupled for simultaneous movement in the same direction. For this purpose, the members i are mounted on suitable insulators 5, the members 2 on insulators 5, the mem bers 3 on insulators l, and the members 4 on insulat rs 3. The insulators 5, 5, 1 and 3 are suitably supported on movable shelf members shown in the form of yokes Q, it, It and I2, respectively. Downwardly projecting arms of these yokes are pivoted at it, It, 15 and i5, respectively, in the upstanding legs of longitudinal anles ii and it which are cross-connected at their ends by angles IS and to form a frame for the switch. For simultaneous movement of the contacts I and 3 in the same direction, the upwardly extending arms of their supporting Yokes 9 and Hare coupled at pivotal points'ZI andZZ by'suitable means en .1 as 2. ii .d link 23. Simila'rly, for simultaneous movement of the contacts 2 and. i in the same direction, the upwardly ex tending arms of their supporting yokes l0 and and 25 by suitversely to move these pairs of coupled members to another circuit controlling position. As shown; this mechanism comprises an actuating lever 21 suitably secured to an operating shaft 28 which is supported in a bearing 21' carried by a support 28' welded or otherwise secured to the longitudinal frame angle IT. The lever 21 is respectively connected to the coupled pairs of mem bers 2 and 4 by a link 29 extending between the pivot 25 on the insulator support [2 and a pivot 30 on the left arm of the lever 21, and to the coupled pair of members I and 3 by a link 3| extending between the pivot 22 and a pivot 32 on the right arm of the lever 21.

A casing 33 is provided to house the mechanism described. For insulating the mechanism from the casing, end insulating members 34 and 35 in the form of angles are provided. These members are suitably secured to the transverse angles l9 and 20, respectively, of the frame. Extending between the end insulating members 34 and 35 are U-shaped insulating members 35 which are suitably secured thereto. The side walls 31 of these members 36 isolate the different poles from each other and from the mechanism and the sides of the casing 33. Flexible leads 38 coming into the different insulators 5, '6, l and 8 pass through transverse insulating members 39 suitably secured to the longitudinal angles l1 and I8.

In Figs. 1-4, inclusive, of the drawing, the circuit controlling members I, 2, 3 and 4 are all shown in the open circuit position. Assuming now that the actuating lever 2! is turned clock wise as viewed in Fig. 2, then the contact 2 in each pole is brought into engagement with its respectively associated contact 3 and the contacts I and 4 of each pole are moved to their extreme outer positions. The circuit controlling members are then in the positions indicated schematically in Fig. 5. With this arrangement, it will be apparent from Fig. that if two windings 40, M are connected to the leads 38 as indicated, then these windings will be connected in series. If, on the other hand, the actuating lever 21 is turned counterclockwise, then the intermediate circuit controlling members 2 and 3 in each pole will be disengaged, and each intermediate member and its immediately adjacent outside member Will be moved into engagement as shown in Fig. 6 to connect the windings 40 and 4| in parallel.

It will be observed that in the arrangement described a high insulation level is obtained, and the structure is adaptable for mounting either inside or outside of the transformer casing, as desired. Moreover, the change in connections from series to multiple and vice-versa can readily be made without any forethought on the part of the operator as to securing the proper connections as is necessary with the use of terminal boards and the like.

It will also be observed that the switch illustrated for the purpose of disclosing our invention is a multiple contact four-pole series-multiple switch comprising four supports respectively mounted for movement about four substantially parallel spaced coplanar axes and that on each of said supports there are mounted substantially in line with the axis thereof four insulators, each carrying a contact on its free end.

While we have shown and described our invention in considerable detail, we do not desire to be limited to the exact arrangements shown, but seek to cover in the appended claims all those modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of our invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An electric switch comprising four pivotally mounted circuit controlling members having the axes thereof in spaced alignment, a link coupling two alternate members for simultaneous movement in the same direction, a link coupling'the other two alternate members for simultaneous movement in the same direction, said members having the spacing between the axes thereof such that when one coupled pair of members is turned in one direction and the other coupled pair of members is turned in the opposite direction the two intermediate members engage and when the movement of each pair of coupled members is reversed each outside member engages the immediately adjacent intermediate member, and motion reversing mechanism interconnecting said coupled pairs of members and having an actuating element movable in one direction simultaneously to turn said coupled pairs of members in opposite directions and movable in the reverse direction reversely to turn each of said coupled pairs of members.

2. An electric switch comprising four pivotally mounted circuit controlling members, a rigid link coupling two alternate members for simultaneous movement in the same direction, a rigid link coupling the other two members for simultaneous movement in the same direction, said members being so constructed and arranged that when one coupled pair of members is turned in one direction and the other coupled pair of members is turned in the opposite direction the two intermediate members engage and when the movement of each pair of coupled members is reversed each outside member engages the immediately adjacent intermediate member, and a pivoted lever I respectively connected to said coupled pairs of members on opposite sides of its pivotal axis, saidlever being rotatable in one direction simultaneously to turn said coupled pairs of members in opposite directions and rotatable in the reverse direction reversely to turn each of said coupled pairs of members.

3. A multiple-pole multiple-contact interconnecting switch comprising four movable circuit controlling members having separate pivotal mounting axes in spaced alignment and each member having a contact thereon for engag-ing with a corresponding contact on each adjacent member, a link coupling two alternate members for simultaneous movement in the same direction, a link coupling the other two alternate members for simultaneous movement in the same direction, said members having the spacing between the axes thereof such thatwhen one coupled pair of members is moved in one direction and the other coupled pair of.

members is moved in the opposite direction the contacts on the two intermediate members engage and when the movement of each pair is reversed the contact on each outside member engages the contact on the immediately adjacent intermediate member, and motion reversing mechanism interconnecting said coupled pairs of members and having an actuating element movable in one direction simultaneously to move said coupled pairs of members in opposite directions and movable in the reverse direction reversely to move each of said coupled pairs of members.

4. An electric switch comprising four circuit controlling members pivotally supported for movement in substantially the same plane respectively about four substantially parallel spaced substantially coplanar axes, a rigid link coupling two alternate members for simultaneous movement in the same direction, a rigid link coupling the other two alternate members for simultaneous movement in the same direction, the construction and arrangement of said members being such that when one coupled pair of members is turned in one direction and the other coupled pair of members is turned in the opposite direction the two intermediate members engage and when the movement of each pair is reversed each outside member engages the immediately adjacent intermediate member, and means for efiecting the respective turning movements of said coupled pairs of members comprising a pivoted lever, a rigid link extending between one of said coupled pairs of members and one side of the pivotal axis of said lever, and a rigid link extending between the other of said coupled pairs of members and the other side of the pivotal axis of said lever.

5. A multiple-pole multiple contact series-multiple switch comprising four pivotal supports respectively mounted for movement about four substantially parallel spaced substantially coplanar axes, a plurality of insulators mounted substantially in line with the axis on each of said supports, a contact mounted on the free end of each of said insulators, a rigid link coupling alternate supports for simultaneous movement in the same direction,- a rigid link coupling the other two alternate supports for simultaneous movement in the same direction, the spacin of said axes and insulators and length of said insulators being such that when said coupled pairs of supports are oppositely moved in one way the contacts on the insulators of the intermediate supports engage and when the movement of each pair of coupled supports is reversed the contacts on the insulators of each outside support of each pair engages the contacts on the insulators of the immediately adjacent intermediate supports, and means for simultaneously rotating said coupled pairs of supports in opposite directions and also simultaneously reversing the direction of rotation comprising a centrally pivoted two-armed lever, a link connection from one arm of the lever to one of said pairs of supports, and a link con nection from the other arm of the lever to the other of said pairs of supports.

6. An electric switch comprising three movable and selectively engageable contacts having separate pivotal mounting axes in spaced alignment such that the engagement of the first of said contacts with the second thereof can be efiected by simultaneously tilting said first and second contacts in opposite directions toward each other and so that the engagement of said first contact with the third of said contacts can be effected by simultaneously tilting said first and third contacts in opposite directions toward each other, the direction of tilting of said first contact to engage said second contact being opposite to the direction of tilting of the first contact to engage said third contact, and motion reversing mechanism coupling said contacts to efiect tilting of said first contact and said second contact towards each other and simultaneously to tilt said third contact away from said first contact and to effect tilting of said first contact and said third contact towards each other and simultaneously to tilt said second contact away from said first contact.

WILLIAM J. CUTHBERTSON. LE ROY S. SCHELL, JR.

No references cited. 

